Car truck



Sept. 11, 1956 M. K. sKuNV CAR TRUCK .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June l2. 1952 Sept. 11, 1956 M. K. cosKUN '2,762,316

CAR TRUCK Filed June l2, 1952 2 Sheets-Sher` 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O CAR TRUCK Mehmet Kemal Coskun, Granite City, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., `a corporation of New Jersey The invention relates to railway freight car trucks and more particularly lto a novel means of suspension therefor.

It is a general object of the invention to devise a novel suspension for a railway car truck wherein the unsprung weight is reduced to a practical minimum.

It is another object of the invention to devise suspension means for a railway freight car truck wherein each wheel is individually sprung, thereby accommodating relative movement between each wheel and the associated side frame.

It is a further object of the invention to devise a novel torsion spring suspension with a side frame of a railway car truck.

It is another object of the invention to provide pendulum suspension for a bolster of a railway car truck in combination with the resiliently supported side frame.

The above and other advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following description and by an examination ofthe drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a railway car truck embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an incomplete plan view of the embodiment of Figure l showing the general relation of the parts;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure l.

The drawings illustrate only one-half of the railway car truck assembly and in the following specification reference is had to that part of the truck shown, it being understood that the portion shown is duplicated in the other half of the truck.

Describing the invention in detail, a truss type side frame, generally designated 2, comprises `a tension member 4 and a compression member 6 which merge at respective adjacent ends to form the depending pedestals or jaws 8 and 16, which in turn define the downwardly directed openings 12. Each opening 12 of the side frame 2 slidably receives a related journal box 14, said journal box offering conventional journaled connection for the axle of an associated wheel and axle assembly 16. Centrally of the side frame, an opening 18 is defined by the tension and compression members 4 Iand 6 and the spaced vertically disposed columns 20, 20 integrally formed with said tension and compression members. A tie bar 21, as seen in Figure 2, is connected to the side frame 2, and extends transversely of the truck to interconnect the opposed side frame.

A bolster, indicated generally at 22, may be provided as at 24 with :conventional means for attaching an associated railway car body (not shown). 'I'he bolster 22 is disposed transversely of the truck and presents an end 26 threaded within the opening 18 of the side frame 2. Pendulum suspension, indicated at 28, is afforded the bolster 22 from the side frame 2. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the bolster end 26 is forked or bifurcated presenting the spaced portions 25, which receive the lower end of a swing hanger arm 30. Pivotal connection between the bolster and swing hanger arm is provided by the pin 32 received within the aligned holes 34, 34 and 36 of the bolster and arm, respectively. The swing hanger, arm preferably extends above the bolster end 26 to make pivotal connection to the side frame 2 by means of thepin-38 which is received within the aligned holes 40, and 42 of the side frame and swing hanger arm, respectively.

The pendulum suspension 28 oers floating pivotal connection between the bolster and side frame. This suspension provides the requisite lateral exibility desired in a railway car truck. It should be noted that in the normal position of the bolster, as seen in Figure 2, the swing hanger farm is angularly related to the longi- -tudinal vertical center plane of the associated side frame. An increased stability of the bolster suspension results from this feature, that is, the gravitational force affecting the bolster is split into component forces acting downwardly Iand inwardly on the bolster end thus etfectively resisting lateral motion of the bolster and urging thev bolster to return -to normal position when lateral thrusts thereon have been dissipated.

As noted above, the journal box 14 is movably re'- ceived by the opening 12 defined by the depending pedestal jaws 8 and 10. A strap 41 fixedly interconnects the lower or free ends of said jaws, thus vertically confining the journal box within the opening 12.

A bracket 43 consisting of spaced lugs 44, 44 is rig idly secured to the top face of the journal box 14, and said lugs are prefenably equally spaced on opposite sides of the central vertical plane of the journal box, as seen in Figure 1. Above ther journal box 14, another bracket 45 consisting of spaced lugs 46, 46 i-s rigidly attached to the side frame 2, said lugs preferably being in the samey spaced relation as the lugs 44, 44 of the journal box 14. Aligned holes 48, 48 andV 50, 50 are presented by the brackets 43 and 45, respectively, and offer means for pivotally attaching a torsional spring unit indicated generally a-t 52 which is operative to resiliently support the s-ide frame 2 from the wheel land axle assembly.

The spring unit 52 may extend longitudinally of the side frame and outboardly thereof. The spring unit preferably comprises the torsion tube 54 of hollow cylindrical form in cross section, which is disposed to surround a torsion'ally deformable spring bar 56. A fixed connection between the torsion'tube 54 and the spring bar or torsion bar 56 is preferably accomplished centrally of the spring unit 52 and may be of the splined type, employed in the preferred embodiment, as seen in Figure 4. Opposite ends of the spring unit 52 terminate at points adjacent each journal box 18, whereat a connection 58 is made between the spring unit and the associated journal box 18 and the side frame 2. The

connection 58 is scissor-like in operation, as seen in Figure 5. In detail, the scissor-like connection 58 consists of a crank arm 60 `having an end portion 62 surrounding and rigidly secured to the related end of the torsion tube 54. As best seen in Figure 5, Ithe torque arm 60 extends inbo'ardly to pivotally Lattach to the side frame 2 by means of a pin connection to the holes 50, -of the bracket 45. The end portion 62 of the crank arm presents a circular recess 64 for the complementary pivotal reception of a circular boss 66 presented on the end of another crank arm 68. Centrally of thev boss 66 of the crank arm 68, an 'aperture 70 receives. the related end of the spring bar 56 and a rigid connection therebetween maybe provided by any vsuitable means, such as by welding. Thus it will be seen that the end portions 62 and 66 of crank arms 6G and 68 are concentric, and also that-apertures` 64 and '70, re spectively, as well as torsion tube 54 and torsion bar 56 all have a common longitudinal axis. The crank arm 63 extends inboardly and adjacent the'crank arm 69 to pivotally attach to the journal.- box 18 of the `wheel and axle assembly. A pin, which is received by the holes 48, 48 of the bracket 43 accomplishes this` attachment.

In operation, bolster load is operative to urge the side frameZ downwardly relative to the wheel and axle assembly resulting in a closing of the scissor-like connection 58, that is, a reducing of the angular relation between the crank arms illand 68. This action causes the torsion spring unit SZ "to resiliently resist the bolster load in that a clockwise and counterclockwise motion is appliedthrough the'crank arms to the torque tube 54 and' spring bar '56, as seen in Figure 5. The torque tube in the :alternative may be either substan tially Ynondeformable whereby 'the 'twisting action iniparted is absorbed by the torsional deformation of the spring bar 56, or the tube may be torsionally deformable lthereby cooperating with the bar Vto absorb the imparted twisting action. The spring bar 56 and/or the tube being stressed substantially below the elastic limit ilexibly supports the loaded sideV frame 2.

lt is tobe noted that .the torsional spring unit is in fact tloating relative to the side frame 2 and wheel and axle assemblies, that is, the crank arms 60 and 68 which pivotally interengage about the longitudinal axis of the spring unit S2. accommodate vertical movement of the torsion spring unit as the angular relation between said crank arms is varied.

Under railway yoperating conditions, it is desirable to accommodate individual flexiblerwheel motion of the railway car truck. Thus when a single wheel of said truck strikes a track impediment urging it upwardly relative to the side frame 2, that movement canY be exibly accommodated without a like motion being concurrently induced to the other wheel associated with the same side frame. ln the preferred embodiment, the effect of such an action isl to urge the journal box upwardly, thus moving the crank arm 68 angularly and imparting a twisting action to the connected spring bar 56, which in turn absorbs said movement without materially affecting the suspension of the related' Wheel of the same side frame.

The pendulum or swing hanger suspension of the bolster and the side frame're'adily accommodates the tilting action normally present when the railway truck is negotiating banked curves. It should also be noted that in the preferred embodiment the connecting points of the swing hanger suspension are bisected by the longitudinal vertical center plane of the related side frame and that said plane also bisects the pivotal connections of the torsion unit to the side frame and axle assembly. This feature provides stability to the truck.

It should also be noted that the torsion bar 56 is sleeved within the torque tube 54, thus offering protec tion for the torsion bar Iand preventing corrosion thereof.

The preferred embodiment shown and described generally provides for metallic spring unit construction, that is, the torsion bar 56 and the torque tube 54 are preferably of metallic material. However, the invention and claims comprehend the utilization of any material having the requisite elastically deformable characteristics.

Iclaim:

l. In a railway car truck, a wheel and axle assembly, a journal box for rotatably mountingsaid assembly, a side frame having spaced pedestals movably receiving said journal box, crank arms movably connected to the side frame and the journal box, respectively, anda torsional spring unit connected tothe crank arm-s and freely movable with respect to the frame, the Vbox and the assembly, said spring unit being operative to resiliently support the side frame from the assembly.

2. In a railway car truck, spaced wheel and axle assemblies, a side frame disposed between said' assemblies Iand movable relative thereto, a torsion spring unit intercom necting and secured to both of said assemblies, and at least one connection between the torsion spring unit and the side frame whereby the twisting motion of the torsion unit enables the unit to resiliently support the side frame from the assemblies.

3. A railway car truck, according to claim 2, wherein said torsion spring unit has crank arms at its respective ends pivotally connecting said unit to the respective assemblies.

4. 'in a railway car truck, spaced wheel and axle assemblies, a side frame extending therebetween and accommodating relative vertical movement of said assemblies, a bolster extending transversely of the side frame, a oating pivotal connection between the bolster and side frame operative to accommodate bolster movement transversely of the side traine, `a floating torsion spring bar free from xed connection to Vthe frame extending between the assemblies and having crank arms movably connecting the bar to the respective assemblies, and means connecting the spring bar to the side trarne, whereby through the twisting movement of the spring bar, the bar is operative to resiliently support the side frame from the assemblies.

5. A railway car truck, according to claim 4, wherein the means connecting the spring bar to the side framc consists of a torsion tube vtixedly connected to the spring bar and at least one crank arm connecting the tube to the side frame. Y Y

`b. in a railway car truck, a wheel and axle assembly, a journal box rotatably mounting said assembly, a side frame engaging the box and accommodating relative vertical movement thereof, a bracket connected to the journal box, another bracket connected to the side frame, ya pair ot1 crank arms having a common pivotal axis and pivotally connected to said brackets, a torque tube rigidly connected to one crank arm, a torsion bar rigidly connected to the other crank arm, and means xcdly interconnecting the torque tube and torsion bar, whereby relative vertical movement of said box is resisted and cushioned by the torsional deformation of said torsion bar and said torsion tube.

7. In a railway car truck, spaced wheel and axle assemblies, spaced side frames, a bolster disposed transversely of the side frames, pivotal means on each end of the bolster connecting the bolster to the respective side frames at points bisected by the longitudinal vertical center plane of each lof said side frames, at least one torsionalV spring unit nonrigidly mounted outboardly of each side frame, and concentric crank arm means connecting each spring unit to the related side frame and assemblies, respectively, at points bisected by the mentioned plane, whereby relative vertical motion ci the side frames is resisted and cushioned.

8. A railway car' truck, according to claim 7, wherein each of said oating torsional spring units consists of a torque tubev and torsion bar in sleeved interrelation and having a fixed connection therebetween, said spring units being" free from connection to said bolster.

9; In a railway car truck, a wheel and axle assembly, 'a side frame relatively movable therewith, a torsional spring unit in spaced relation to the side frame, said unit comprising a torsion bar and a torsion tube having a fixed interconnection, and means connecting said spring unit to the side frame and assembly, respectively, whereby said unit is vertically movable with respect to the side frame and assembly and is operative to resiliently support the side frame from the assembly, said means comprising a crank 'arm pivoted to each assembly and' rigidly secured to the bar and' another crank arm pivotcd to the frame'and' rigidly secured to the tube.

l0'. A railway car truck, according to claim 9, wherein said connectingrneans consists of crank arms having for the ends opposite the mentioned ends of said crank arms to the related side frame and assembly, respectively.

11. In a vehicle, a frame, spaced wheel and axle assemblies, a pair of crank arms pivoted to the respective assemblies, another pair of crank arms pivoted to said frame, a tube keyed to the arms of one pair, a bar disposed between said tube and keyed to the arms of the other pair, and means keying the tube and bar to each other intermediate their respective ends, at least one of said tube and bar being torsionally elastic to resiliently support the load of said frame on said assemblies.

12. In a vehicle, a frame, spaced wheel and axle assemblies, a torsion tube member, a torsion bar member disposed Within said tube member and rigidly secured thereto intermediate the ends of said tube member, a pair `of crank alms, each arm having one end rigidly secured to one of said members and another end pivotally secured to the wheel and axle assembly, the second pair of crank arms each having one end rigidly secured to the other of said members and another end pivoted to the frame, said torsion bar being torsionally deformable to resiliently support the frame from the Wheel and axle assemblies,

13. In a vehicle, a supported member, a supporting member, a torsion tube element, a torsion bar element positioned in and rigidly connected to said torsion tube element, a crank arm having one end pivoted to said supported member and having another end rigidly secured to one of said torsion elements, and another crank arm having one end pivoted to said supporting member and another end rigidly secured to the other of said torsion elements, one of said torsion elements being torsionally elastic to resiliently support Said supported member from said supporting member.

14. In a vehicle, a supported member, a supporting member disposed with its longitudinal axis extending substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the supported member, a torsion tube element disposed in a plane substan-tially parallel to the longitudinal plane of one member and normal to the longitudinal plane of the other member, a torsion tube element positioned in and keyed to said tube element intermediate the ends of said tube element, a crank arm pivoted to the supported member and rigidly secured to one of said torsion elements, another crank arm pivoted to the supporting member and rigidly secured to the other torsion element, one of said torsion elements being torsionally elastic to resiliently support the supported member from the supporting member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,529,287 Batchelder Mar. 10, 1925 2,273,053 Ledwinka Feb. 17, 1942 2,283,971 Chembers May 26, 1942 2,344,522 Pflager et al. Mar. 21, 1944 2,359,225 Kump Sept. 26, 1944 2,586,061 Krotz Feb. 19, 1952 

